FBS

GENERAL INFORMATION AND REGULATION

FBS is a global broker founded in 2009. In the EU, FBS is operated by Tradestone Ltd and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). The global branch is run by FBS Markets Inc and regulated by the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC).

FBS has a head office location in Cyprus and claims to have over 17 million active traders across more than 150 countries, from Malaysia and Indonesia to South Africa, Pakistan and the EU.

FBS offers full support for the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms, as well as its proprietary FBS Trader App. In addition, FBS also has a copy trading platform and a free VPS service for clients that trade more than three lots per month and deposit over 450 USD.

FBS provides a welcoming environment for beginner traders, with an excellent selection of educational and market analysis materials compared to other brokers. Nigerians will also benefit from a host of FBS sign-up bonuses, but payment methods are limited and withdrawal fees are high.

MARKET INSTRUMENT

Clients can access a wide range of assets for trading:

• Forex – 28 standard pairs plus 16 exotics

• Metals – four precious metals

• Energies – WTI and Brent crude oil

• Stocks (global only) – 40 US, 30 UK, and 30 German company shares

• Indices – long list of cash-based indexes including the NASDAQ

• Cryptocurrency – Crypto trading is available via the FBS Trader app and the web-based Personal area. Cryptos can be traded directly, and in a range of 35 pairs – crypto/crypto or crypto/fiat, such as BTC/USD and LTC/USD

ACCOUNT AND LEVERAGE

FBS offers more account types than most other brokers, which are suitable for both beginners and more experienced traders alike.

FBS offers five different account types suited to both beginner and experienced traders alike.

Cent Account

Cent accounts are suitable for beginner traders and allow trading micro-lots. The initial deposit is 1 USD; floating spreads that average at 0.8 pips (EUR/USD), which is much tighter than at other brokers, and leverage is up to 1:1000. The Cent account supports the following trading instruments: 35 currency pairs, 4 metals, indices, and 33 stocks. Trading is offered on the MT4 and MT5 platforms.

Standard Account

Standard accounts are commission-free accounts with a minimum deposit of 100 USD, variable spreads that average at 0.8 pips (EUR/USD), which is tighter than other similar brokers, and leverage of up to 3000:1. The Standard account supports the following trading instruments: 35 currency pairs, 4 metals, indices, and 33 stocks. Again support is offered for both MT4 and MT5.

Micro Account

Micro accounts are commission-free and have a minimum deposit of 5 USD. Spreads are fixed at 3 pips on the EUR/USD, which is wider than most other brokers, and leverage is up to 3000:1. The Micro account supports the following trading instruments: 35 currency pairs, 4 metals, and indices, and trading is offered on MT4 and MT5.

Zero spread Account

The Zero Spread account is perfect for those traders who prefer high-speed trading. These are high commission accounts – at 20 USD per lot, making it unappealing for most traders. Spreads are fixed at 0 pips on the EUR/USD, leverage is up to 3000:1, and the minimum deposit requirement is 500 USD. The Zero Spread account supports the following trading instruments: 35 currency pairs, 4 metals, and indices.

ECN Account

The minimum deposit on the ECN Account is 1,000 USD, variable spreads start at 0.1 pips (EUR/USD), and a commission of 6 USD is charged per lot. Maximum leverage on the ECN Account is up to 500:1, but ECN account holders can only trade on 25 FX pairs. While the minimum deposit requirement is high, its ongoing trading costs are as low as those charged by other ECN brokers. The ECN Account is the most suitable account for experienced traders.

Islamic Account

All accounts are available as swap-free accounts, except for the ECN Account. Changing account status to Swap-free is available in the account settings only for the citizens of countries where one of the official (and dominating) religions is Islam, and includes Nigeria.

For long-term strategies where a position is held open for longer than two days, FBS charges a fixed fee for the total number of days during which the order was opened.

Demo Accounts

FBS offers free demo accounts, allowing traders to test out the Forex strategies with virtual money, using real market data. Using a demo account is a good way to learn how to trade. Demo accounts expire after 40 days, after which time they are automatically deleted. Clients can open a new one when this happens.

The maximum leverage available depends on account type and branch. In the EU the broker provides leverage up to 1:30 on Standard and Cent account types. Globally it offers up to 1:1000 on the Cent account, 1:500 on the ECN account, and 1:3000 on other account types.

FBS has a margin call of 40% and lower, whereafter it is entitled to close a clients position.

TRADING PLATFORM AVAILABLE

FBS uses a non-dealing desk (NDD) system with STP for rapid order execution. After registration and login clients have a choice of two platforms to access the markets.

MetaTrader 4

MT4 is a market-leading platform that FBS clients can download for PC. The trading platform includes a range of features:

• One-click execution and copy-trading

• Expert Advisors (EA) service and APIs

• Wide range of technical indicators and charting tools

• Support for clients using a virtual private server (VPS)

The global branch of FBS also offers MT4 MultiTerminal, which allows clients to operate multiple accounts simultaneously.

MetaTrader 5

This broker recently added MT5 integration to its portfolio. This platform is a recent update to MT4 with greater versatility that offers the following:

• Hedging & netting

• Market depth view

• More technical indicators

• More order types and timeframes

MT4 and MT5 are also both available without a download via any browser through the WebTrader solution. This service works across all operating systems and has all the features of the original software.

DEPOSIT AND WITHDRAWAL

FBS charges no deposit fees, but charges high withdrawal fees for certain payment methods. It also offers an average range of funding methods.

In line with Anti-Money Laundering policies, deposits and withdrawals at FBS cannot be made to/from third-party accounts. FBS does not charge for making deposits to a live trading account, and it charges fees for withdrawals under certain conditions. Additionally, the deposited amount will be converted into USD or EUR according to the current official exchange rate on the deposit execution day. Note that deposits made via electronic payment systems are processed instantly, and deposit requests via other payment systems are processed within 1-2 hours.

See below for a list of FBS payment methods:

• Visa: Deposits are instant and free. Withdrawals take 15 – 20 minutes and may take as long as 5 -7 business days to reach your bank account. Withdrawals are charged at a 1 USD commission.

• Local Bank Transfer: FBS allows deposits and withdrawals from and to banks across Africa. A commission of 2% is charged by FBS on deposits and withdrawals, which is expensive considering this fee does not include conversion fees.

• Skrill: Deposits are instant and free. Withdrawals take 15 – 20 minutes to be processed, and a commission of 1% + 0,32 USD is charged.

• Neteller: Deposits are instant and free. Withdrawals can take 15-20 minutes to be processed, and a 2% minimum, and 30 USD maximum commission is charged.

• Sticpay: Deposits are instant, but are charged at a 2.5% + 0.3 USD commission. Withdrawals can take up to 15 – 20 minutes to be processed, and a 2.5% + 0.3 USD commission is charged.

• Perfect Money: Deposits are instant, but commissions may apply depending on the payment system. Withdrawals take 15 – 20 minutes to be processed, and a 0.5% commission is charged.

Overall, while FBS provides a wide range of funding methods, and deposits are generally free, withdrawals are expensive and all currencies are converted into EUR or USD and so most traders will have to pay currency conversion fees.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer service is available in multiple languages, 24/7 – which is exceptional for an industry where the standard is 24/5. Support is available by email, live chat, and social media, in 14 different languages.

EU

• Email – info@fbs.eu

• Live chat – logo in bottom right

• Contact number – +357 25313540

• Address – Vasileos Georgiou A 89, Office 101, Potamos Germasogeias 4048, Limassol, Cyprus